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Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev made 18 saves for
the Avalanche (51-24-7, 109 points). Colorado edged the Dallas
Stars (47-21-14, 108 points) to claim the division title on the
last day of the regular season.
For the Predators (42-32-8, 92 points), Kiefer Sherwood posted
his first career two-goal game and Luke Evangelista tallied
once. Goalie Kevin Lankinen stopped 30 shots.
With overtime looming, MacKinnon raced down the right wing on a
two-on-one rush and buried a shot for his 42nd goal of the
season with 1:42 left.
Colorado has struggled with all kinds of injuries but roared to
the end of the regular season with a 16-2-1 run. Even so, this
one was no free win, even after the Avalanche claimed a 3-1
first-period lead.
Toews opened the scoring just 28 seconds into the clash when his
long wrist shot ricocheted off a defender's skate and into the
net for his seventh goal of the season.
MacKinnon doubled the lead less than three minutes later when he
gained the puck at the point, zipped down the wing and upon
cutting to the middle ripped a shot home.
Sherwood put the Predators on the board at 5:42 of the first
with a glove-side wrist shot from just inside the right circle.
MacKinnon notched his second of the night at the 13:14 mark of
the game by splitting the defenders and then lifting a backhand
shot.
Nashville, which will miss the playoffs for the first time in
nine seasons, didn't pack it in.
Evangelista began the Predators' comeback 2:32 into the second
period by joining a rush and wiring a top-shelf wrist shot for
his seventh of the season.
Then, Sherwood potted his second of the game and seventh of the
season. While on a power play, Sherwood eluded a check as he
reached the slot and one-timed a pass at 7:08 of the middle
frame.
--Field Level Media
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